Dealing with diabetes

Can protein aid diabetes sufferers?

According to research conducted by University of Adelaide PhD student Eva Pedersen, who compared the effects of a high-protein and standard diet in a year-long study involving 45 obese people with type 2 diabetes.

The results show that weight loss achieved by both diets resulted in a range of benefits for the participants.

"High-protein diets are commonly used in our community, but concerns have been raised about the potential harmful effects of these diets on diabetic people's renal function, which is often already compromised due to their condition," says senior author Professor Peter Clifton, Affiliate Professor at the University of Adelaide's School of Medicine.

Within the first six months of the study, both diets helped the participants to lose weight, with almost 9% of body weight lost by those on the high-protein diet and more than 6% by those on the standard diet. Weight loss in both groups plateaued after that time.

"Far from seeing any problems caused by the high-protein diet, the participants' weight loss resulted in improvements to their renal health, as well as to their overall cardiovascular health and the control of their blood-sugar levels," says Professor Clifton, who is also co-author of the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet book.

"These benefits were seen in participants on both the high-protein diet and the standard diet, which is a good message for diabetic people who are looking to lose weight and improve their wellbeing.